25-year sentence in shotgun murder

A Groves man has been sentenced to prison for murdering his friend with a shotgun.

John Mason Broadway, 27, was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury Sept. 6, 2012, for first degree mur- der in the death of Cody Hokett.

According to an affidavit for search and arrest warrant obtained by The Examiner, on July 23, 2012, police responded to a house to find Hokett sitting on the front step, partially slumped over and covered in blood. Hokett was able to tell police he had been shot, and police observed a severe gunshot wound to Hokett’s upper right back and chest area.

The initial 911 caller was also at the scene and told police he was coming by the home to “drink a beer” with Broadway when he found Hokett in the doorway, bleeding profusely. The caller told police that before they arrived, Hokett told the 911 caller that Broadway had shot him, according to the arrest affidavit.

Hokett was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital where he would die some 30 minutes after police found him in the doorway of Broadway’s residence.

When police searched the home, Broadway was nowhere to be found, but police were able to secure the mur- der weapon — a short-barreled shot-gun with a shortened wood stock — at the bloody crime scene. In a later interview with police, Broadway’s friends and family said Broadway was acting bizarre and abus- ing drugs, “possibly including meth- amphetamine and bath salts,” the arrest affidavit said. At least one friend told police Broadway was ranting about “the evil government,” and was brag-ging about another small pistol with extra ammunition in his possession.

A prosecutor familiar with the case confirmed both Broadway and the vic- tim might have been involved in a methamphetamine ring.

After his guilty plea, Broadway appeared before Judge John Stevens’ Criminal District Court on Friday, Sept. 27, and was sentenced to the full 25 years under his plea agreement.

Broadway said nothing to Stevens’ court during his sentencing.

According to prosecutors, Broadway could be eligible for parole in the year 2026.

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